Refrigerant evaporator



Apri] 8, 1941.

L. C. SMITH REFRIGERANT EVAPORATOR .Filed July 24, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l April 8, 1941. L. c. SMITH nEFRIGERm'rEvAPoRATon 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :inventor lawrence admi/:

Gttorneg Filed July 24, 1940 Apr. 8, 1941 2,237,503 v ncrmoamm'r EvAPoaATon Lawrence C. Smith, Lyons, N. Y., assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Philco Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Application July 24, 1940, Serial No. 347,345

6 Claims.

yi'iiis invention relates to Arefrigerant evapoi'ators of the iiooded type, and is a continuation in part of my prior application Serial BT04181450, died December 30, 1937, for Refrigerant evaporator.

The invention is directed to an evaporator having a main suction header disposed transvcrsely in lthe refrigerator casing, and a plurality of communicating subheaders which are laterally disposed .with respect to the suction header. This form of construction offers several distinct advantages, among which 'may'be noted an inherent adaptability to an ice tray compartment oi any width, or- -to aplur-ality of ice tray compartments, without the necessity of complex connection formations. The invention also offers a distinct improvement in the manifolding system which includes ice tray ducts, sub-headers and main suction header, to the end that uniform and free refrigerant distribution is attained without subjecting any portion of the evaporator to violent refrigerant reactions.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation, partially in section, of the evaporator; Y

Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof Fig. 3 is a side elevation of a modified form of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a front view of the form of evaporator shown in Figure 3 on a reduced scale; and

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic front view of a refrigerator wherein is disposed an evaporator hav-4 ing multiple ice tray compartments.

The evaporator shown in Figs. 1- and 2 consists of a main suction header I of a closed cylindrical form having a vertical suction pipe II communicating with the central portion thereof, A plurality of parallel U-shaped refrigerant tubes or ducts I2 encompass three sides of an ice tray sleeve IA which is disposed laterally beneath the header I 0. Extending perpendicularly fromthe opposite ends of the header Il are pairs of aligned sub-headers I3 the inner ends of which communicate with the suction header and the outer ends of which are blanked off, as indicated at Il. The vertical legs of theV tubes I2 communicate at their upper ends with the sub-headers I3, as indicated at I2a and acentral refrigerant' tube I2b may have its legs in direct communication with the suction header Il. -This latter duct may be omitted if so desired, particularly in cases where a more numerous group of ducts ,I2 is permitted by the proportions of the ice tray sleeve Il.

A refrigerant supply tube I6 extends transversely through all of the ductsl at central points thereof, and it is provided with ports I1 which meter correct volumes of refrigerant to each duct. This supply device, Vwhich was-first disclosed in my copending application Serial No. 103,700, filed October 2, 1936, combines advan- -tageously with the'present structure. However, any other supply means known in the art may be utilized with 'good results also.

Obviously, a construction of this character is capable of considerable modification as, for ex ample, that shown in the construction -of Figures 3, 4, and 5, the specic formation of which is claimed inthe copending application of FrankD. Peltier andKarl F, Schmidt, Serial No. 194,311, filed March 7, 1938, for Evaporator unit." In this form of the construction, the endmost of the refrigerant tubes or ducts I8 have the upper ends of the legs thereof angularly bent and extended over the ends of the intermediate tubes I! arranged at opposite sides of header Illa and said intermediate tubes I9 have their upper ends in communication with the sub-headers Isa thus provided, the construction being otherwise similar to that in Figures 1 and 2. As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the supply tube I6 may communicate vwith a feed conduit through a suitable thermostatic expansion valve V of any desired construction.

The header I0 or I0a may, obviously, be formed of any desired length, as dictated by the width of the underlying ice tray sleeve. In Fig. 5, for

l example, the evaporator E is provided with two ice tray compartments 20a and an intermediate freezing compartment 2|. The former compartments are enclosed by two groups of duct units 22 of the saine general type` as previously de scribed. The sub-headers 23a of each unit communicate with a long suctionf header 23, which in turn is connected with a central suction pipe 24. The duct units may be fed by two supply tubes IBa leading to a single valve 25,

In operation, it has been found, either in the single or multiple ice tray form, that the liquid level in the main header remains at a remarkably uniform level, and as a-result, back frosting rality of ducts extending about the bottom and side Walls of the sleeve, each duct having terminal portions communicating with adjacent sub-headers, and refrigerant supply means organized with said ducts.

2. An evaporator comprising an elongated suction header, a plurality of sub-headers extending horizontally into said header and being disposed laterally thereof, a plurality of ice tray sleeves disposed in a horizontal roW beneath said header, n

the axes of said sleeves being disposed transversely with respect to the axis of the header, a plurality of loops extending transversely about each sleeve and having terminal portions communicating With the sub-headers, and refrigerant supply means organized with said loops.

3. An evaporator comprising a cage-like structure having a header located in the center of the top portion thereof; a plurality of U-shaped tubular members having their bight portions arranged to form the bottom of said structure and their opposite leg portions extending to the top thereof; a supply pipe extending through each of said bight portions and having apertures arranged to permit passage of liquid refrigerant into the same; and tubular means connecting the leg portions of the U-shaped members at the opposite ends of said structure to the header; said tubular means overlying the extremities of the other U-shaped members and communicating therewith.

4. A structure of the type recited in claim 3 and including a sleeve member extending through said cage-like structure and arranged to support ice trays within the evaporator'.

5. An evaporator comprising an elongated suction header, a plurality of transversely positioned sub-headers entering said header and being disposed horizontally, a plurality of depending pipe loops, each loop having terminal portions connected to adjacent sub-headers, and refrigerant supply means organized with said loops.

6. The structure of claim l wherein the upper ends of .the legs of at least one of said U-shaped members communicate directly with said header.

LAWRENCE C. SMITH. 

